Angle cock and mounting assembly



April 7, 1970 c. SPEES 3,504,806

ANGLE COCK AND MOUNTING ASSEMBLY Filed Aug. 19, 1968 7/ [far/a Z. 5 92451/ 1/ pm flaw/MW! [/44 %//amqw.

United States Patent "ice 3,504,806 ANGLE COCK AND MOUNTING ASSEMBLYCharles L. Specs, Elkhorn, Wis., assignor to Union Tank Car Company,Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 19, 1968, Ser. No.753,606 Int. Cl. B61g /06 US. Cl. 213-1 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE An angle cock and mounting assembly for the trainline systemof railway rolling stock. The angle cock unit and its mounting structureare so constructed that a passed coupler riding up onto a unit andsubjecting it to an excessive amount of stress merely causes the unit toshift without damage to it, the mounting structure, or the trainline.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates in general to railwayrolling stock. It deals particularly with the brake or trainlineequipment for such rolling stock and, more precisely, to the trainlineconnections between railway cars.

In a conventional railway tank car, for example, a trainline pipesegment extends along one side of the cars centerline, beneath the tank,and is secured to underframe structure of the car. Protruding from eachend of the car, adjacent the conventional car coupler, is mounted anangle cock unit from which a hose connection extends. The hoseconnection is employed to flexibly interconnect the trainline pipesegments of coupled cars, and the angle cock unit includes a suitablevalve mechanism for opening an dclosing communication between thetrainline pipe segments of adjacent cars.

During normal operation of a train of coupled cars, the interconnectedtrainlines pipe segments provide, in a conventional manner, a conduitfor compressed air employed to operate the brakes on the individualcars. When the individual cars are uncoupled, the hose connections aredisconnected after the angle cock unit valve mechanism is manipulated toclose off the trainline pipe segment at each end, and the car couplersare opened in a conventional manner. To the foregoing extent trainlineequipment, which has remained virtually unchanged for years throughoutthe industry, peforms its function quite satisfactorily.

In one particular area, however, trainline equipment of conventionaldesign has been found sadly lacking. When switching cars on a curve, forexample, frequently the car couplers do not meet in properly alignedrelationship, and often pass to one side of each other. When thishappens, a coupler rides up onto an angle cock unit, breaking either theangle cock unit itself, the conventional U-bolt which connects it to aframe bracket, or the trainline, or perhaps all of these parts.

The industry has developed systems and devices which do prevent thistype of accident, but todate they have usually been found to either beimpractical, i.e., too expensive, or prone to some serious structuralinadequacy. For example, there are coupler centering devices whichassure that the couplers always meet in proper relationship. They,naturally, solve the problem. However, they are expensive to install andmaintain. On the other hand, break-away pipe nipples have been employedto join the angle cock units to the trainline. These constructions haveconsistently resulted in leaky pipe joints, however.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The angle cock and mounting assembly of thepresent invention is constructed and arranged in such a manner 3,504,806Patented Apr. 7, 1970 that it obviates the aforedescribed inadequaciesof presently known systems. Accordingly, it is an object of the presentinvention to provide an improved angle cock and mounting assembly fortrainline systems in railway rolling stock. It is another object toprovide an angle cock and mounting assembly which, when struck by apassed coupler, is not damaged by the overriding coupler. In this light,the assembly construction also avoids damage to the trainline and/ormounting fittings and the like.

The foregoing and other objects are realized in accord with the presentinvention by providing an angle cock and mounting assembly for thetrainline system of railway rolling stock wherein the angle cock unitmoves in lost motion relationship when a passed coupler strikes andover-rides it. The angle cock unit literally slides downwardly relativeto its mounting bracket when subjected to more than a predeterminedamount of stress incurred by the impact of an over-riding coupler.Accordingly, no damage is suflfered by the angle cock unit, its mountingassembly, or the trainline pipe segment terminus at the mountingassembly.

The invention, together with its construction and method of operation,including the foregoing as well as other objects thereof, is illustratedmore or less diagrammatically in the drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side-elevational view of adjacent ends of two railway tankcars which have been moved together to couple in a conventional manner,and wherein the couplers have passed and the coupler of the car on theleft has ridden onto the angle cock unit of the car on the right;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of an angle cock andmounting assembly embodying features of the invention;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the angle cock and mounting assemblyillustrated in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a front elevational view of the angle cock and mountingassembly illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 3; and

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken along line 55 of FIGURE 3;

Referring now to the drawing, and particularly to FIGURE 1, a pair ofrailway tank cars moving together, ostensibly into coupled relationship,are illustrated generally at T and T The cars T and T are identical inconstruction and, accordingly, corresponding reference numerals areapplied to corresponding components of each.

Referring to car T it includes an elongated generally cylindrical tank10 supported at its opposite ends in a conventional manner by railwaytrucks 11 (only one shown). A conventional bolster 12 and underframestructure 13 at each end of the tank 10 support the tank from each ofthe trucks 11.

Extending outwardly from the end of the underframe structure 13, andsecured thereto in a well-known manner, is a conventional car coupler20. Immediately adjacent the underframe structure 13, and extending thelength of the car T is a generally conventional trainline pipe segment21. The trainline pipe segment 21 terminates in an angle cock andmounting assembly 25 embodying features of the present invention,extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the car,alongside the coupler 20. The angle cock and mounting assemblies 25 ofeach of the cars T and T are arranged on the opposite sides of opposedcouplers 20. Their coupling hoses can readily be joined when the carsare coupled to complete the trainline conduit along the chain of coupledcars.

As illustrated in FIGURE 1, the couplers 20 of the cars T and T have, asis frequently the case when cars are coupled on a curve, for example,not engaged each other in aligned, end-toend relationship, and, accordingly, have passed each other. As a result, the coupler 20 on the car Twhich has passed on the near side of the coupler 20 on the car T ridesforcefully into the angle cock and mounting assembly 25 embodyingfeatures of the present invention. Because of their relative heights onthe underframe structure 13, the coupler 20 on the tank car T normallyrides up over the angle cock and mounting assembly 25, subjecting it toan excessive amount of stress and, under normal circumstances, damagingthe assembly 25 in some way.

The construction of the angle cock and mounting assembly 25 on the tankcar T is, however, designed to absorb the excessive stress of anover-riding coupler 2.0 without damaging any component parts of theassembly. In this light, it will be recognized in the coupling situationillustrated in FIGURE 1, the angle cock and mounting assembly 25 on eachtank car T and T is struck by a coupler 20 on the opposite car.

Referring now to FIGURES 25, the angle cock and mounting assembly 25embodying features of the present invention is illustrated in greaterdetail. As illustrated, the underframe structure 13 of the tank car Tnormally includes a horizontal bottom flange 30. The bolsters 12supporting the tank are welded to such flanges 30 adjacent their innerends (see FIGURE 1) while the outer end of each flange terminatesadjacent a corresponding coupler 20. The coupler mounting assembly 31 ismounted between opposed flanges 30 in a well-known manner.

The angle cock and mounting assembly includes a transversely extendingbracket 35 welded at the inner end of its horizontal leg 36 to one ofthe horizontal flanges of the underfrarne structure 13. The bracket alsoincludes a vertical mounting plate 37 having a trainline pipe segmentport 40 extending through it on an axis parallel to the centerline ofthe tank car. As seen in FIGURE 5, the trainline pipe segment 21 extendsinto the port 40 at its free end 41 and is welded thereto to form anair-tight connection between the pipe and the mounting plate 37.

Releasably mounted on the face 45 of the mounting plate 37, according tothe present invention, is the angle cock unit 46. The angle cock unit 46is mounted over the port 40 on its base flange 48. A conventional hoseconnection 49 extends from the opposite side of the angle cock unit andis adapted to be interconnected with an identical hose connectionextending from the adjacent tank car T The angle cock unit 46 comprisesa housing 52 which contains a conventional air valve (not shown) openedand closed by rotation of the valve handle 53 in a wellknown manner. Thehousing valve chamber opens to the hose connection 49 at its outer endand, at its inner end to an inlet port 55 extending through the baseflange 48.

The base flange 48 of the angle cock unit 46 has a planar mountingsurface adapted to seat against the corresponding planar mountingsurface 45 of the mounting plate 37 in the angle bracket 35 with theports 40 and 55 in registry. An O-ring 61 is seated in an annular recess62 in the surface 62 around the port 40.

The base flange 48 forming the inner end of the angle cock unit 46 ishorizontally elongated, as best shown in FIGURE 4. As such, it hastransversely extending cars 65 and 66. Formed in each of the cars 65 and66 is a vertically extending slot 67.

The angle cock unit 46 seats against the mounting plate 37 of thebracket member 35 with the slots 67 facing upwardly, as illustrated.Extending through each of the slots at its base is a conventionalmachine bolt 70 whose head 71 overlies a corresponding ear 65, 66 of theshoulder 48, and whose shank 72 extends through a suitably formed andpositioned aperture 73 in the plate 37.

The shank 72 of each bolt 70 is threaded to receive a conventionalmachine nut 75. With the angle cock unit 46 seated, as illustrated, inproper position on the surface 45 of the plate 37, the nuts 75 areturned to draw the surface 60 of the base flange 48 in sealingrelationship against the O-ring 61. An air-tight connection is thusformed between the trainline pipe segment 21 and the angle cock unit 46,and the unit 46 is solidly mounted.

Assume now that the car T is being pushed toward the car T to couplethem. The couplers 20 of the cars T and T are sutficiently out ofalignment with each other so that the coupler associated with the car Tpasses in front of the coupler 20 associated with the car T asillustrated in FIGURE 1. The coupler 20 associated with the car Tstrikes and begins to ride up onto the angle cock unit 46 illustrated.

In a conventional construction, the angle cock unit would be subjectedto such stress that either it would break off, the bracket upon which itwas mounted would break, the conventional U-clam-ps would snap, or thetrainline pipe segment could well break, or all of these things couldhappen. In the present invention, however, as a predetermined overloadstress is applied downwardly on the angle cock unit 46, it gives waydownwardly sliding on the shanks 72 of the bolts 70. This predeterminedoverload stress is determined by the extent to which the nuts 75 are onthe bolt 70 and can readily be adjusted. If the angle cock unit 46 isforced downwardly a suflicient distance, it merely separates from themounting bracket 35. No damage is suffered by the unit 46, the mountingbracket 35, or the trainline pipe segment 21.

To remount the angle cock unit 46, it is merely necessary to loosen thenuts 75 and slide the unit upwardly again until the shanks 72 are seatedin the bases of corresponding slots 67. If the O-ring 61 has beendamaged, it is easily replaced.

While the embodiment described herein is at present considered to bepreferred, it is understood that various modifications and improvementsmay be made therein, and it is intended to cover in the appended claimsall such modifications and improvements as fall within the true spiritand scope of the invention.

What is desired to be claimed and secured by Letters Patent of theUnited States is:

1. In a railway car having trainline pipe means adapted to beinterconnected to corresponding trainline pipe means on an adjacentrailway car, the improvement in an angle cock and mounting assembly formaking such connection, comprising:

(a) a mounting plate on one end of the car adjacent the car coupler,

(b) said plate including a substantially planar mounting surface,

(c) an aperture extending through said plate and connected to an end ofthe trainline pipe means, (d)lan angle cock unit releasably mounted onsaid p ate,

(e) said angle cock unit including a mounting base,

(f) a substantially planar mounting surface on said base and a port insaid unit opening through said base surface, said aperture and said portbeing in registry with each other when said unit is mounted for normaloperation on said plate, and sealin g means disposed between said plateand base around said registered aperture and port,

(g) vertically extending slot means in said base, and

(h) adjustable fastening means on said plate extending through said slotmeans, said fastening means being tightened to a predetermined extentwhich releasably attaches said base to said plate in a manner whichprevents relative movement therebetween during normal operation butwhich releases and permits said angle cock unit to slide downwardly onsaid plate without damage to the unit, the fastening means, the plate,or the trainline pipe means When a passed coupler rides up onto saidunit.

5 6 2. The improvement in angle cock and mounting as- (a) said mountingmeans comprises a pair of bolts exsembly of claim 1 furthercharacterized in that: tending through said mounting plate,

(a) said mounting base includes generally horizontally (b) each of saidbolts extending through a correspondextending, oppositely disposed ears,ing slot, and (b) a vertically extending slot formed in each of said 5(c) a nut threaded onto each of said bolts to secure ears, said base tosaid plate. (0) said fastening means extending through said slots tosecure said base to said plate, References Cited (d) the relativedimensions of said slots and said UNITED STATES PATENTS fastening meansbeing such that downward sliding of said unit more than a predetermineddistance 10 a ii causes said fastening means to pass through said slots1 069038 7/1913 a 1elds 137349 out of engagement with said unit and torelease sald 1,154,481 9/1915 Buzard et aL 285 63 X 531d braclfet-1,263,574 4/1918 Leftwich 28563 X 3. The improvement in angle cock andmountmg as- 15 1711 138 4/1929 Campbell sembly of claim 1 furthercharacterized in that: 1:724:929 8/1929 Hannaford (a) said sealing meanscomprises O-ring means seated 1,735,790 1 /1929 Pratt 137 347 in arecess formed in one of said plate and base 2 302 129 11 1942 L 13mounting surfaces. 4. The improvement in angle cock and mounting as- 20U.S. Cl. X.R.

sembly of claim 1, 2 or 3 further characterized in that: 7- 4 .3

